"Bjorn (Nordberg) is an amateur player but he seems to be pretty good, he qualified online to get here, and he's fun. He always drinks at the table but no matter how drunk he's never abusing people. He behaves himself," said Rosenberg, with a seriousness about booze that only the Nordics can muster.

It seemed to be a fair assessment. Nordberg looked very happy with life. His stack was chugging along and everyone at his table had a tall glass of red wine in front of them. As the building company owner lifted his glass of wine aloft, revealing a jack-king of spades tattoo on the inside of his right arm, he smiled widely, chuckling alongside Bill Chen, who was sat to his right.

"I have bought for the rest of the night, whatever they want to drink," said Nordberg, challenging for the role of the world's most joyful man, "but I have the biggest glass," he clarified with a smile.

Living the good life: Bjorn Nordberg (second left, next to Bill Chen)

Indeed, his drinking vessel was the largest, a veritable wine stein to everyone else's chianti pints. Should he make the money here it would be his fourth career cash, his last being in October, a runner-up score for Skr349,000 ($52,259).

His wife of four years and partner of eleven, Johanna, sat on a chair a short distance away drawing more than a few passing glances. Pretty, blonde and friendly, I asked Mrs Nordberg if she travelled with Bjorn to all his poker tournaments, or just the ones in the Bahamas.

"I decided not to go to Latvia because the weather was even worse than in Sweden. It's good to be here though as it is dark pretty much all day in Sweden now," said Nordberg (of the female variety).

She will not be sitting on the sidelines all week though: "I'm really looking forward to Friday and the ladies event, which is a $1,100 buy-in," she said.

When asked if she played much she replied, with a coy smile: "In case anyone's reading, I will say no."

Should either cash I imagine a celebration at the bar will take place as a matter of course. Or, in fact, if they both bust. Raise your glass to the happy couple.